Fire protection guides for building owners
What your fire marshal, insurer and water department expect, how often, and what it involves, in plain language.
NFPA 25 sprinkler inspection schedule: what gets checked, and how often
Most commercial wet-pipe sprinkler systems need a quarterly inspection, an annual inspection and test, and a five-year internal check, with some items looked at monthly by the owner. The building owner is responsible for making sure it all happens.
Read the guideBackflow testing on fire sprinkler lines in Tennessee
If your fire sprinkler line has a backflow preventer, your water system almost certainly requires it to be tested once a year by a state-certified tester, with the results sent to them. NFPA 25 also asks for an annual forward-flow test of the same device.
Read the guideThe five-year sprinkler inspection: internal pipe check, gauges and obstructions
Every five years, NFPA 25 asks for a look inside the sprinkler piping for corrosion, sediment or anything else that could block water, along with new or calibrated gauges and an internal check of key valves. If debris turns up, a fuller obstruction investigation follows.
Read the guideFire pump testing: weekly and monthly runs, and the annual flow test
A fire pump is run on a routine schedule without flowing water (weekly for diesel, and monthly for most electric pumps), and once a year it's flow tested at no flow, at its rated capacity and at 150% of it, with the results compared against the pump's original curve.
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